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<blockquote><div class="quotetitle">Quote from <a class="profile-link highlight-moderator" href="https://lawguide.co.ke/understanding-law/legal-forum/profile/lawyer/">Lawyer</a> on July 29, 2025, 1:43 pm</div><div id="pl-7285"  class="panel-layout" ><div id="pg-7285-0"  class="panel-grid panel-no-style" ><div id="pgc-7285-0-0"  class="panel-grid-cell"  data-weight="1" ><div id="panel-7285-0-0-0" class="so-panel widget widget_sow-editor panel-first-child panel-last-child" data-index="0" data-style="{&quot;background_image_attachment&quot;:false,&quot;background_display&quot;:&quot;tile&quot;,&quot;background_image_size&quot;:&quot;full&quot;,&quot;background_image_opacity&quot;:&quot;100&quot;,&quot;border_thickness&quot;:&quot;1px&quot;}" ><div
			
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	<p dir="ltr" data-pm-slice="1 1 []">CHICAGO - The Trump administration has terminated more than half of the federal funding allocated to gun violence prevention programs across the United States, slashing $158 million in grants that supported community-based initiatives in cities such as New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington, D.C., and Baltimore. This significant reduction has raised concerns among advocates and local leaders who argue that these programs are critical to reducing violent crime and supporting vulnerable communities.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The cuts, which took effect in April, impacted 69 out of 145 community violence intervention (CVI) grants, totaling over $300 million, administered through the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs. These grants, initially funded through the 2022 Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, were part of a broader effort under former President Joe Biden to address the rising tide of gun violence in America. The Act also led to the establishment of the White House Office for Gun Violence Prevention, which was dismantled on the first day of the Trump administration’s return to office.</p>
<p dir="ltr">A Department of Justice official stated that the grants were eliminated because they no longer aligned with the agency’s priorities, which now focus on supporting law enforcement and combating violent crime directly. The decision is part of a broader rollback of 365 grants, valued at $811 million, affecting various public safety and victim services programs. Thousands of additional grants remain under review, with evaluations centered on their support for law enforcement objectives.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Gun violence in the U.S. saw a sharp increase of over 50 percent from 2015 to a peak of 21,383 deaths in 2021, according to data from the Gun Violence Archive. Since then, fatalities have declined, with 16,725 deaths recorded in 2024, aligning more closely with pre-pandemic trends. As of May 2025, gun violence deaths are down by 866 compared to the same period in the previous year. Advocates credit community-based programs, like those funded by the CVI grants, for contributing to this decline, particularly in urban areas.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Major cities such as New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles received the bulk of the funding, but smaller southern cities like Memphis, Selma, Alabama, and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, also relied heavily on these grants due to limited state-level support. Amber Goodwin, co-founder of the Community Violence Legal Network, described the cuts as a tragic blow, noting that few state legislatures are currently providing funding for such initiatives. Goodwin is part of a coalition of lawyers working to reinstate the grants.</p>
<p dir="ltr">In Columbia, South Carolina, Deputy Police Chief Melron Kelly highlighted the impact of CVI programs in fostering collaboration between law enforcement and community organizations. These programs focused on preventing retaliatory shootings, which often escalate neighborhood conflicts. Kelly noted that Columbia has seen a significant reduction in violent crime post-COVID, with shootings approaching a 10-year low, partly due to these efforts. However, the loss of federal funding has left organizations scrambling to maintain operations.</p>
<p dir="ltr">In Memphis, Durell Cowan, executive director of HEAL 901, a community violence prevention nonprofit, received a $1.7 million CVI grant in October 2024, only to have it canceled after receiving $150,000. Cowan’s organization now faces uncertainty as it seeks alternative funding sources to continue its work.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The termination of these grants has sparked outrage among advocates and lawmakers. Congressional Democrats, led by representatives like Robin Kelly, Maxwell Frost, Shontel Brown, and Lucy McBath, sent a letter to the White House in May, urging the administration to reverse the cuts. They emphasized that the funding directly contributes to community safety and that its abrupt cancellation has forced some organizations to consider layoffs or closure. In California alone, over $80 million in grants were cut, affecting programs in Los Angeles, Oakland, and San Francisco that supported violence prevention and victim services.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Critics argue that the cuts undermine years of progress in reducing gun violence, particularly in communities disproportionately affected by shootings. Fatimah Loren Dreier, executive director of the Health Alliance for Violence Intervention, pointed out that the expansion of prevention programs coincided with historic drops in shootings in cities like Detroit, Baltimore, and Indianapolis. Aqeela Sherrills, director of the Community Based Public Safety Collective, noted that his organization was forced to lay off 20 employees after its three-year grant was terminated, highlighting the broader impact on community safety and law enforcement.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The Trump administration’s decision has also raised legal questions. Five organizations filed a lawsuit in May to restore the grants, arguing that the terminations were abrupt and lacked clear justification. Some grants were cut off mid-cycle, disrupting programs that had already begun spending the funds. For example, Youth Alive, an Oakland-based nonprofit, had spent only $60,000 of its $2 million grant before it was canceled, leaving its hospital-based violence intervention program in jeopardy.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Meanwhile, the administration has signaled a shift in priorities toward policies that expand gun access. The Department of Justice recently proposed a rule to restore gun rights to certain individuals previously barred due to criminal convictions, with exceptions for undocumented immigrants, violent felons, and registered sex offenders. This move has drawn criticism from gun safety advocates who argue it prioritizes gun industry interests over public safety.</p>
<p dir="ltr">As communities grapple with the loss of funding, local leaders and advocates are left to navigate a challenging landscape. The cuts come at a critical time, with summer approaching, a season when gun violence typically spikes. Organizations like Youth Alive and HEAL 901 are now tasked with finding new ways to sustain their efforts, while advocates continue to push for the restoration of federal support to prevent further setbacks in the fight against gun violence.</p>
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